Pokemon NG 2: Johto Saga
by PokemonFreak90
Summary: Adam Ketchum and his friends, Jason Oak, and Michelle Waterflower, are reunited and begin a new journey together in a new region where they will face new challenges and meet new Pokemon. But behind the scenes, another evil plan from Team Rocket is beginning to form and the fate of the world may rest in the hands of our three heroes.
1. A New Region, A New Journey!

**Author's Note: Welcome to the second story in the Pokemon NG storyline! Me and my co-author, XashXdawnX, hope that you enjoy the continuing adventures of Adam Ketchum and his friends, especially if you read and enjoyed the first story.**

**Disclaimer: The following a non-profit fan-based story. Neither my co-author nor I own Pokemon. All rights are reserved to their own respective owners, which include Nintendo, Game Freak, and Satoshi Tajiri.**

My family and I were sailing back home to Kanto. After being on a boat and sailing through the Orange Islands for the past two months, my family had grown a lot closer. Traveling through the Orange Islands was a great experience and we all had a great time. My uncle, Darien (my mom's twin brother), was a lot calmer than before and my cousin, Brittany, was as ecstatic as ever. I hadn't really spent time with either of them after everything that I went through on my Pokemon journey.

My name is Adam Ketchum, son of Ash and Dawn Ketchum. My parents, grandma, uncle, cousin, and I had been traveling together for the past two months through the Orange Islands and I had competed for the gym badges there, following my first Pokemon journey across Kanto and my triumph in the Kanto Pokemon League...but maybe you already know that story.

I was standing out on the deck, everyone else was inside, finishing their packing. I started to remember all of the islands that we had seen. Among them, I had seen the Fire, Ice, and Lightning Islands where Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos live. And while there, I was once again told of the prophecy that my dad fulfilled, but it was a lot different, actually being where it took place.

Looking down at the trophy in my hands, which showed that I had won the Orange Islands Championship over Drake, I remembered the battles that I had faced, and especially the final battle against Drake and his Dragonite.

_"I must say, Adam, you are a worthy trainer. You've done well, but it's time for my final Pokemon." Drake said as he removed a Pokeball from the necklace that he wore and tossed it. Dragonite appeared._

_As I stared at Dragonite, I knew that I would have to do something similar to what I had done at the Pokemon League, and maybe something similar to what my dad had done when he defeated Drake._

_But Dragonite proved to be almost too much for me. All of my Pokemon fainted, except for Pikachu. They had all worked as a team to slowly weaken Dragonite, and it had worked. Dragonite's breathing was labored._

_"Pikachu, you ready?" I asked, looking to where he was waiting._

_"Pi! Pika!" he cried, running onto the field._

_"Use Hyper Beam, Dragonite." Drake commanded._

_"Dodge it!" I cried._

_The Hyper Beam hit where Pikachu was standing a second ago. Pikachu flipped and landed on Dragonite's head, waiting. Dragonite was unable to move after using Hyper Beam._

_"Use Thunderbolt!" I cried._

_"Get it off of you!" Drake shouted._

_But Dragonite couldn't shake off Pikachu. Pikachu released the attack and once it ended, Pikachu leapt off of its head. Dragonite fell forward and fainted._

I was brought out of my thoughts as I heard footsteps on the deck. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that my family had walked out onto the deck.

Brittany was wearing a black tank top, a lavender skirt, and lavender knee-high boots. My dad was wearing a pair of jeans, a black shirt under a red hoodie (like the hoodie that he wore during his Hoenn journey), black and white sneakers, and his Sinnoh hat was on his head. Darien was wearing jeans, a black and red shirt, and black sneakers.

"When we get back to Kanto, I'm going to catch a ship back to Sinnoh. It's time that I headed home after being away with you guys for so long. Everything here is back to normal now." Grandma Johanna announced. "What will you be doing, Darien?"

"Well, I've been a Pokemon Hunter for so many years and now that it's over, I don't know what to do with the rest of my life. I mean, what can someone like me do?" he asked. My uncle used to be a Pokemon Hunter, working for Team Rocket until he saw the error of his ways and helped stop their evil plans.

"Darien, you're a very strong trainer. Why not challenge the gyms in Sinnoh and enter the Pokemon League? With strength like yours, you have a good chance of winning the tournament. If you were to win, you'd have the right to challenge the Elite Four, and if you beat at least two of them, you would be eligible to become one of the Elite Four members if the League were to agree." my dad suggested. "Besides, Sinnoh is looking for a new Elite Four member since they only have three, after Bertha's passing. Who knows, you may even be able to beat Cynthia and become the new regional champion."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course. I've seen you battle before and I know firsthand how strong the Elite Four are, so I wouldn't have such high expectations if I wasn't one hundred percent confident in your abilities."

Darien looked thoughtful for a few moments and then gave a slight nod of his head. "Would you look after Brittany if I traveled?" he asked, looking at his mom, my grandma.

"I'd be happy to." my grandma replied and Brittany was smiling, happy about the thought of seeing another new place. She hadn't been to Sinnoh and she loved to travel and explore.

"Brittany, you can even stay in my old room at grandma's house." my mom said, already thinking ahead.

"Thank you!" Brittany said. She smiled and hugged my mom happily. Aside from her dad, Brittany was closer to my mom than anyone else.

Darien knelt in front of Brittany. "Even though I'll be gone, I promise to keep in touch with you. I'll call you whenever I get to a Pokemon Center, so you'll know where I am and won't worry." he said to his daughter.

Brittany nodded her head with a small smile, but her eyes showed a hint of sadness. Her father would be away from her again and she wouldn't see him, but she would be able to see him while on the phone with him.

"Could I call you too, Aunt Dawn?" she asked.

"Of course you can. I'm always happy to talk to you." my mom said. My mom was the kindest person that you could ever meet.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the ship docked and we all waited for Grandma to get back with three tickets to Sinnoh. When she walked back over with them, it was time to say goodbye.<p>

After hugs were exchanged and goodbyes were said, my grandma, uncle, and cousin left to get onto the ship that was leaving for Sinnoh. Once they were onboard, we started walking back to Pallet Town.

Soon we were home and once I had unpacked, I walked into the living room where my parents were.

"I'm going to go and see Jason." I said. Jason was the son of Prof. Gary Oak and Leaf Oak. He was my best friend and we had traveled across Kanto together.

I left my house and headed towards the lab. I wanted to tell him about my trip and I hadn't really seen him since our journey had ended. I walked into the lab and after walking around, I found Jason in the library, sitting on the couch with a book open in front of him.

"Hey," I said from the doorway.

He glanced up and saw me. "Hey, welcome back." he said, turning for a second and marking his page before closing the book.

"I'm glad to be back. The Orange Islands were amazing. I even challenged the gyms there." I said.

"Did you win?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I removed a badge case and showed him the four badges.

"Impressive." he said and then saw me reaching into my bag.

I removed the trophy and his eyes widened.

"You won the Orange Islands Championship?!" he asked, shocked.

"Yep,"

He shook his head in disbelief and said, "First the Kanto League and now the Orange Islands Championship. You're on a roll."

"So what have you been doing while I was away?" I asked.

"I've been helping my dad around the lab and learning more about Pokemon. After you beat me in the Pokemon League finals, I've been studying Pokemon nonstop. The more I know about how Pokemon act and behave, the better I can train them. As you can see." he said, motioning to the book that rested on the desk, which he had been reading.

"With all of that studying, who knows, you may end up being like your dad. He started off wanting to be a Pokemon Master and ended up being a Pokemon Professor. And it's great that you're learning about Pokemon and how to train them."

"Me? A Pokemon Professor? I guess time will tell. So how about we put my studying to the test? How about a battle to see how much we've improved since our journey together?" Jason asked, his eyes showing determination.

"You're on."

* * *

><p>Two weeks passed and everything was like it once was, before I had even started my journey. It had been a year since Jason and I first left Pallet Town and started our journey. We had both turned eleven not long ago.<p>

I walked out of my room, dressed in a pair of white jeans, a black shirt with a red jacket with short white sleeves, and black sneakers. I also wore black fingerless gloves and my dad's old Kanto hat.

My mom was cooking breakfast in the kitchen and was wearing a pink shirt, jean shorts, and pink flats.

I sat at the table and was soon eating breakfast with my mom and dad. As I took a sip of my orange juice, I decided to say something. I set my glass on the table, along with my fork.

"I've enjoyed being home with you both, but I want to go on another journey. I want to travel to another region. Jason and I have been talking about it together and we want to leave this morning for Johto." I announced.

My dad laughed. "You're just like me. When I was traveling, I never stayed in Pallet Town for long. When I finished my journey in a region, there was always another region that I would find out about and want to see for all of its new Pokemon and challenges." he said.

My mom and dad then looked at one another and I saw a worried glance pass between the two of them. They knew that Team Rocket was still out there somewhere, but that wouldn't stop them from letting me go...would it?

"You can go. We're glad that you're following your dream." they said.

"Thanks!" I cried.

* * *

><p>After going to the lab with my parents, I went to the back field with Jason. Jason was wearing a green shirt with a black jacket over it, black jeans, and sneakers. We were both looking at our Pokemon.<p>

"Since we're going to catch more Pokemon in Johto, some of you will have to stay here." I said.

"We can only have six at a time." Jason added.

I removed Pikachu's Pokeball and attached it to my belt and Pikachu hopped onto my shoulder. I then returned Charmeleon, Wartortle, and Pidgeot.

"Venusaur, Haunter, and Golem, you'll stay here." I said.

Jason removed his Pokeballs and returned Charizard, Machamp, Golduck, and Tangela.

"Haunter and Fearow, you guys stay here." he said.

We walked back into the lab where my mom and dad and Jason's parents were. Leaf was wearing a green tank top with a white knee-length skirt. Gary was wearing a pair of tan pants with a black shirt and a white lab coat.

"Well, we're leaving now." Jason said, hugging his mom. "Love you,"

"I love you too, sweetie. You be careful." she said.

"Love you," Jason said as he pulled away from his dad.

"Love you, too. Be careful." he said.

I hugged my mom. "I love you," I said.

"I love you, too. Try not to be as reckless as your father." she said.

I laughed and said, "I'll try."

I walked over to my dad who looked at me sadly.

"I wish that I could have been here to see you off when you first began your journey across Kanto, too. I never had a father when I was growing up, and I wanted to be the father to you that I never had, I wanted to be here for all of the big events in your life and I couldn't even see you when you first started your journey..."

I stepped forward and hugged my dad. "I know that you would have been there if you could have, but it was Team Rocket. They captured you. They were the reason why you weren't there. You may not have been there in person, but you were there in my heart and I knew that I would find you and bring you home." I said, trying to make my dad feel better.

He hugged me back. "Please be safe and have fun." he said softly.

With one final goodbye, we left the lab. But as we reached the bottom of the hill, we heard a voice behind us say, "Aren't you guys forgetting someone?"

We turned around and saw...Michelle! A smile spread across my face, as did Jason's and Michelle's, and we ran towards each other, hugging. Michelle was Misty's daughter. Jason and I had met her when we were in Cerulean City to challenge Misty for our badges. She then joined us on our journey at Misty's suggestion. Michelle wanted to become a coordinator and eventually made it into the Grand Festival, losing in the finals. We hadn't seen her since the Pokemon League two months ago. It was longest amount of time that we had been apart since we first started traveling together. The three of us were very close, as close as brothers and sister.

Once we pulled away from one another, I looked at Michelle. She looked a little different from the last time that we saw her. She still wore an ocean blue long sleeve shirt over a white tank top, white short shorts, and white and blue sneakers. Her bracelet containing her Pokeballs was on her wrist and her teardrop necklace with a letter "M" engraved into it was around her neck. But her smooth, fiery orange hair was shorter now. Instead of reaching down to her waist, it was now reaching down her back halfway between her shoulders and waist. Looking closer, I saw that she was also now wearing earrings, blue teardrops were dangling from her ears.

"You look different." I said.

She nodded her head. "I decided to change my look a bit. I cut my hair shorter and got my ears pierced. My blue teardrop earrings are real Cascade badges that my mom made into earrings for me." Michelle explained.

"Well, you look great. I love your new look." I said.

"Yeah, it suits you. It's still your old look, but not as tomboyish as it once was." Jason added.

"Thanks," Michelle said, smiling. "While we were traveling together, I guess I grew up a little and matured. I act a little more like how a girl my age should."

"So why are you here?" I asked, not that I wasn't glad to see her.

"While I was at home, I had a feeling that I can't explain. A feeling like something was going to happen, so I left Cerulean City a few days ago to come see you guys. Looks like I caught you just in time." she explained. "And besides, you didn't think that I would let you boys run off and go on a new adventure without me, did you?"

"We're on our way to Johto." I said.

"I have Charizard, Machamp, Golduck, and Tangela with me." Jason said.

"I have Pikachu, Charmeleon, Wartortle, and Pidgeot with me." I said.

"I'm bringing Jolteon, Arcanine, Togetic, and Haunter with me. Poliwhirl is staying at the gym with my mom. She's looking after Poliwhirl for me."

"And Michelle, we wouldn't have left without you." I said.

"Yes we would." Jason joked, smirking at her.

"No, I wouldn't have let you. As you can see."

She stepped in between me and Jason and slung her arms over our shoulders.

"So, off to Johto?" she asked.

"Off to Johto." Jason and I said, putting our arms around her shoulders.

We started walking west from the lab, heading to Johto.

What new Pokemon awaited us there? The challenges and contests? The rivals that we would face? What would happen on our journey this time? But whatever was waiting there for us, we knew that we'd face it together and we knew that together, we could overcome anything!

**Author's Note: Adam, Jason, and Michelle have begun a new journey in a new region. What will they face? Who will they meet? What challenges, dangers, and Pokemon await them in Johto?**

**Find out as the new adventure begins in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!**


	2. A New Pokemon in New Bark Town

We had been walking all day since leaving Pallet Town. With Pallet Town long behind us, we were getting close to New Bark Town, since we were currently walking through the forest that my dad had passed through on his way to Johto.

"Do you know the way, Adam? We haven't been to Johto before and I don't want to get lost." Jason asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, I know the way. We didn't get lost at all on our journey through Kanto, remember? I have a good sense of direction. It's a lot better than my dad's." I replied.

Michelle laughed. "My mom has told me all about the times that she got lost while traveling with your dad. So what have you guys been doing since I last saw you?"

"I've been reading and studying Pokemon to learn how to train them better so that I can become stronger. Losing to Adam in the Pokemon League finals really pushed me to become a stronger trainer." Jason replied.

"And I went on a vacation with my family to the Orange Islands. We all grew a lot closer from the experience. I even won the Orange Islands Championship." I said to Michelle.

"That's great, Jason. It's great that you're studying to become a better trainer and learn more about how to raise your Pokemon. I don't doubt that you've gotten stronger and have become a better trainer. And it's great that you won another championship, Adam. At this rate, you'll become a Pokemon Master in no time! What were the Orange Islands gyms and championship like?"

"It was different and a little more challenging than the Kanto League, but fun nonetheless." I replied.

"Different? How?"

"Well, unlike Kanto, in the gyms in the Orange Islands, you don't just battle the gym leaders to earn a badge. You and your Pokemon have to beat them and their Pokemon in skills competition. I had never earned a badge that way, so it took some getting used to."

After a minute of walking in silence, I looked at Michelle and asked, "Well, we've told you what we've been doing since we last saw each other. What have you been doing since we all returned home?"

"Well, since we never really had a square meal while traveling in Kanto, I asked my mom if she would teach me how to cook. So now that I know how to cook, leave the meals to me." Michelle said, smiling proudly.

Having real meals sounded great to me. While traveling across Kanto, we had had the same things every day and it wasn't much of a variety. Bread, berries, meat, soups, and a few other canned foods.

"Maybe we won't miss our moms' cooking as much." Jason said. "Has anything else been happening, Michelle?"

"Since returning home to Cerulean City, things have really changed for me. You see, when I was growing up, I didn't really have any friends. I was too much of a tomboy compared to all of the other girls that I met who were my age, so I never really did fit in anywhere. So my mom was like my best friend as I grew up. She was the only one who understood me because she was also a tomboy when she was my age and she didn't fit in with her sisters." Michelle explained.

"But everything changed when I came home after my journey, after competing in the Grand Festival. Some of the girls who knew me when I was younger came and talked to me, which is something that they never did. They said that they saw me on the TV, competing in the Grand Festival and couldn't believe it. They told me that at first, they didn't really think that it was me. They said that the Michelle that they knew would never dress up like I did or train my Pokemon that way! They all thought that I would be a trainer like my mom and they thought that maybe there was another Michelle from Cerulean City. But when I came home from the Grand Festival, they realized that it WAS me!

"Since then, I've been hanging out with the girls in Cerulean City and we've become good friends. Throughout my life, I've always had trouble fitting in and making friends, but now I have a ton of them! And it's all thanks to you guys, because you showed me what true friendship was when nobody else would. You were the first people to accept me for who I am, tomboy or not, you still cared for me."

"That's great, Michelle. I'm so happy for you. Things have really changed for the better in your life." I said, giving her a smile.

"Yeah, it's great that you have a lot more friends now. We're glad to have helped you." Jason said.

"Yes, I owe you guys a lot. I may have a lot of friends now, but none of them are closer to me than the two of you." she added, giving each of us a hug.

* * *

><p>Later on, we passed by a pond and I stopped, remembering a story that my dad had told me.<p>

"My dad saw Suicune here when he was traveling to Johto." I said. "He saw a Legendary Pokemon when he started both his Kanto and Johto journey."

_And yet I have yet to see a Legendary Pokemon. But I'll hopefully see one when the time is right._ I thought.

We then stepped out of the forest and found ourselves on a hill that overlooked New Bark Town.

"Wow...we made it." Michelle muttered in amazement.

The view was amazing. After admiring the sight, we headed down towards the town.

"We need to stop at the Pokemon Center and register for the Johto League so that we can challenge the gyms." Jason said.

We walked into the Pokemon Center and up to the front desk.

"Hello, how may I help you?" Nurse Joy asked.

"We would like to register to compete in the Johto League." I said.

"Certainly, may I see your Pokedexes?"

We handed over our Pokedexes and after a few moments, Nurse Joy gave them back to us.

"The nearest gym is in Violet City. I wish you both the best of luck." she said.

"Thank you,"

"Nurse Joy, where is the nearest contest?" Michelle asked.

"The nearest contest is in Cherrygrove City, which is right on the way to Violet City." Nurse Joy replied.

"Thanks,"

"Can we stop at Cherrygrove City on the way to Violet City so that I can compete?" Michelle asked as we walked away from the desk.

"Of course, Michelle." Jason replied.

"Yeah, of course. We aren't going to hold you back from achieving your dream. We care way too much about you to do that." I added.

Looking around the room, I saw the phones and thought of my mom.

"I'm going to call my mom and let her know that we made it safely to Johto." I said, heading over to the phones with Jason and Michelle following me.

I dialed the number and waited for my mom to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, mom." I said.

"Hi, Adam!" she cried, appearing on the screen.

"Hey, Jason and Michelle," my mom said, seeing them.

Jason waved and Michelle said hello.

"We're in New Bark Town at the Pokemon Center. We made it to Johto." I said.

"Well, thank you for letting me know."

"And we're all registered for the Johto League." Jason added.

"Good luck to all of you. Michelle, I'll be watching your Johto contests, just like I did with your Kanto contests." my mom said, smiling. My mom had actually inspired Michelle to become a coordinator in the first place.

"Is dad there?" I asked, wondering that if he was there, why he hadn't came to the phone?

"No, he's not, sweetie. He left about an hour ago for Sinnoh to see Maylene in Veilstone City." my mom answered.

I was about to ask why, but my mom started speaking again.

"He told me that since he was kidnapped by Team Rocket, he decided that he needs to train his body and Aura just as much as he trains his Pokemon. He needs and wants to be able to defend himself if his Pokemon are unable to do so. When he was captured, Team Rocket defeated all of his Pokemon, leaving him defenseless.

"Maylene can help him learn how to fight if she agrees to do so. Darien was actually the one who suggested it to him while we were in the Orange Islands. Your father thought about it for a while and finally decided that it was what he needed to do."

_Dad made a good decision in choosing to get help with his Aura abilities, having never learned about them before. And with the power of the Legendary Pokemon that he has now - thanks to the symbol on his hand - he definitely needs to learn how to control and use his Aura._ I thought to myself.

"That's great. When you talk to him, tell him that he made a good decision. I love you, and tell dad that I love him, too." I said.

"I will. I love you and may you all be safe on your journey."

Then the call ended and we left the Pokemon Center.

"Hey, since we're in New Bark Town, we should stop at the lab and see Professor Elm." Jason suggested.

Thanks to his dad, Jason knew the other professors in the other regions. I knew of the other professors, but had never really met them and had only seen brief pictures or glimpses from some video calls that my dad had made.

We walked into the lab and the sight that greeted us was a very worried Professor Elm. Professor Elm was now in his fifties. His brown hair was streaked with gray, his glasses were on his face crookedly, and he looked like he was panicking.

"Professor Elm, are you okay?" Jason asked.

He turned quickly, just now realizing that we were there.

"No...no, I'm not. All three of the new Johto Pokemon are missing! Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. I don't know where they are or what happened..." he said, running his hand across his face.

"Don't worry, we can find them for you." I said.

He looked at us and sighed in relief. "Thank you so much."

"I'm looking for Totodile." I said.

"I'll search for Cyndaquil." Jason said.

"And I'll look for Chikorita." Michelle said.

We ran out of the lab and split up.

**Michelle's POV**

Once we ran outside, I headed towards the forest that we had traveled through earlier. Chikorita was a Grass type, so it would most likely be there.

I was walking through the forest, staying alert and looking for any signs of Chikorita. Suddenly, I heard a cry in the distance and ran towards the direction that it came from.

I ran into a clearing and stopped. A very scared Chikorita was cornered by an angry Ariados. Chikorita had to have trespassed into Ariados's territory, and they were very territorial! The Ariados looked ready to attack!

"Oh no you don't!" I yelled. I unclipped one of the Pokeballs that were attached to my bracelet, enlarged it, and tossed it.

"Arcanine, Flamethrower!" I cried. Arcanine used Flamethrower, scaring the Ariados away.

"Thanks, Arcanine." I said, returning my Pokemon.

I walked towards Chikorita, but she backed away from me, shaking her head.

"Chika!" she cried, staring at me with wide, terrified eyes. She had just been through a horrible experience.

"It's okay, everything's okay." I said, kneeling down to the Pokemon's level, trying to console her.

Chikorita backed away even further. She wasn't calming down.

I thought to myself, _I can't get her back to the lab if she won't come with me willingly. Wait...that's it!_

I released Togetic from her Pokeball. "Togetic, can you help Chikorita calm down and tell her that I mean no harm?" I asked. Togetic was the kindest, sweetest Pokemon on my team. If any Pokemon could help calm a scared Pokemon, it was her. She wasn't called the Happiness Pokemon for nothing.

Togetic nodded and flew over to where Chikorita was, who had stepped up a little.

"Toe...togetic!"

"Chika?"

"Toe. Togi!"

"Chika..."

"Togi...togetic! Toe!"

"Chika. Chika."

Chikorita slowly walked towards me. I held out my hand and rubbed her head before picking her up in my arms, protectively holding her close.

"You're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you." I said softly. Chikorita began to calm down, hearing the comforting sound of my voice.

"Thank you, Togetic." I said, returning her.

As I walked back to the lab, Chikorita stared up at me, becoming calmer all the while.

Upon entering the lab, I saw that Adam and Jason were back and Totodile and Cyndaquil were on the table.

"Chikorita's a little shaken up, but she's okay. An Ariados was about to attack her when I found her. She was so scared." I said, holding Chikorita a little tighter as I felt her tremble.

"Thank you for saving Chikorita. Those Ariados can be quite terrifying and intimidating." Professor Elm said.

"You know, my mom saved her Piplup from a swarm of Ariados when she started her journey. That's how she got Piplup as her starter. You two have more in common than you know." Adam said to me. It felt good to be similarly compared to my favorite coordinator.

"Thank you all again for your help and hopefully these little ones have learned not to go wandering off." said Professor Elm.

"It was no problem." we replied.

"Who are you three, anyways?" he asked.

_That's right, we haven't introduced ourselves!_

"I'm Jason Oak." Jason said.

"I'm Adam Ketchum." Adam said.

"And I'm Michelle Waterflower." I said.

"Wait, I know all of your parents. Jason, your father is a good friend of mine, Professor Gary Oak. I now see the resemblance between you two. And you two, I remember when your parents, Ash and Misty, stopped by here on their own Johto journey. I wish you all luck on your journey." he said.

We turned towards the door and started walking. But I stopped, feeling something rub against my leg. Looking down, I saw Chikorita.

"Chika..." she trailed, rubbing her head against my leg. She didn't want me to leave.

"She wants to come with me." I said softly, looking down at her.

"It's okay for her to go with you. I can get more Chikoritas. Here's her Pokeball." Professor Elm said, walking over and holding out a Pokeball.

"Thank you," I said, taking the Pokeball.

I knelt down and scooped Chikorita up into my arms.

"Welcome to the team, Chikorita." I said softly.

"Chika! Chika!" she cried happily. I could see that we were going to be great friends.

We then left the lab and once outside, we saw that the sun was setting. We had been traveling for most of the day and helped look for the Pokemon for the rest of the day.

"It's getting late in the evening. We can stay at the Pokemon Center and head for Cherrygrove City in the morning." Jason said.

"Hey, Adam? Can you scan Chikorita for me?" I asked as we walked towards the Pokemon Center.

"Sure," he said, removing his Pokedex and holding it towards Chikorita.

"Chikorita, the Leaf Pokemon. Chikoritas emits pleasant aromas from the leaves on their heads and they love to sunbathe."

"Thanks," I said and tapped Chikorita's Pokeball against her head, returning her.

We walked into the Pokemon Center and got a room and ate supper before heading to our room to go to sleep.

We all laid down in our beds, thinking about what awaited us in Johto. What would happen now that we were in a new region?

**Author's Note: Adam, Jason, and Michelle have arrived in Johto, ready to compete for their badges and ribbons. Michelle has also obtained her first Pokemon in Johto: a Chikorita that she saved from an Ariados.**

**The story is only just beginning, so stay tuned for the next chapter of Pokemon NG!**


	3. Chikorita Stands Tall

**Michelle's POV**

Adam, Jason, and I had stopped for lunch while on our journey. I was kneeling next to the fire, stirring the soup that was in the pot. This was my first time making lunch for all of us and the first time that Adam and Jason would taste my cooking. I had my mom to thank for teaching me how to cook. I stood up and walked over to my bag and removed some bowls, spoons, and some bread.

I checked the food once more and then stood up. "Lunch is served. I made lots, since I know that you have your dad's big appetite, Adam." I announced.

"Great! It's time to eat, everyone." Jason said, tossing his Pokeballs.

"Lunch time, guys!" Adam cried, tossing his Pokeballs.

"Time to eat," I said, tossing my Pokeballs.

As the Pokemon appeared and looked around, their eyes landed on Chikorita, the newest member of our group. They had yet to met her.

"Everyone, this is Chikorita, our newest friend." I said as Chikorita looked away from the others shyly.

I saw that Chikorita was shy and nervous being around people and Pokemon that she doesn't know. It would take some time for her to open up to everyone.

We gave the Pokemon their food and then the three of us sat and ate our soup.

"This tastes great, Michelle." Adam said as he ate.

"Yeah, it's a lot better than what we had to eat while traveling through Kanto. But it's still not as good as mom's cooking...no offense." Jason added.

"None taken. I admit that I'm no expert when it comes to cooking. I'm still learning how to perfect my cooking skills, but I keep improving every time. One day, it'll be just as great as all of our parents' cooking."

When we finished eating, we looked over at the Pokemon and I quickly saw that Chikorita had barely touched her food.

"She isn't really feeling like one of the gang yet. She's still young and new to the group and she hasn't battled before."

"Maybe her encounter with that Ariados back in New Bark Town has something to do with it?" Jason suggested.

"You know, my cousin, Brittany, was just like Chikorita when she first met me and my family. But over time, she opened up to us and became the happy, full-of-life girl that she is now and Chikorita will open up, too. Michelle, just give her some time, make her feel welcome, and do something special for her." Adam said.

_Something special for her? Hmm...that's it!_

"The upcoming Pokemon contest in Cherrygrove City! If Chikorita participated in a contest, it would be a great way for her to gain confidence and improve her abilities. I'll train with her after lunch." I said, already starting to feel excited and happy.

"We'll clean up while you train with Chikorita." said the boys.

"Thanks, guys." I said as I stood up. "Come on, Chikorita."

I walked a little ways away from the campsite so that I wouldn't be in the way of anyone and faced my Pokemon.

"I'm going to be using you in the upcoming contest in Cherrygrove City." I said.

Chikorita stared at me, puzzled. So I explained what I meant.

"A Pokemon contest is where a coordinator like me puts on a show with their Pokemon. Together, we'll show off your moves and make you shine in the appeals round and then make you shine even more in the battle round, where you show off your strength. It's a lot of fun and I know that you'll do great." I explained.

"Chika..."

I knelt down, sensing her discomfort and fear. She was feeling the pressure.

"There's no need to worry, Chikorita. Just do your best." I said, rubbing her head.

"Now can you show me your moves so that I can get a better idea of what kind of attacks and combinations I can make?" I asked.

Chikorita used Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, Tackle, and Synthesis. They were good moves, but she had shown them off halfheartedly.

"You're doing great, Chikorita. Don't be scared and nervous. I know that you can do it. Try again."

"Chika!" Chikorita cried and showed off her moves to their full extent.

"Okay..." I trailed to myself as I thought of what combinations I could come up with.

"I know! Chikorita, use Razor Leaf!" I cried. Chikorita launched the attack into the air.

"Now use Vine Whip!" Vine Whip hit the leaves and gave them extra speed, making them more powerful.

"Okay, that worked. Great job, Chikorita! Now use Tackle and Synthesis!" Using Synthesis while using Tackle made Chikorita glow as she ran.

"Great!" I cried happily. "Now use Razor Leaf and Vine Whip again. Maybe we can find a way to transition from one attack combination to another."

I watched as Chikorita hit a leaf, but it struck a tree and an angry Beedrill flew towards Chikorita! Chikorita was frozen in horror, remembering the incident with that angry Ariados.

Chikorita was in no emotional state to battle, so I reached for my bracelet but I didn't feel my Pokeballs. I then remembered that they were back with Adam and Jason! Chikorita was in trouble!

I looked around and saw a stick. I picked it up and threw it at the Beedrill, hoping to draw its attention away from Chikorita. It worked and now it was lunging towards me instead. I yelled at Chikorita to run away. I knew that I would get hurt, but at least she would be okay. I stepped backwards and stumbled as Beedrill was nearly on top of me! I closed my eyes and waited...but nothing happened.

I opened my eyes and looked and saw that vines were wrapped around Beedrill, restraining it. My eyes followed down the vines to their source: Chikorita! She was standing there with an angry, determined look in her eyes. A look that said, "Leave my trainer alone!" Beedrill was pulled backwards and slammed into the ground, then got hit by a flurry of Razor Leaf attacks, scaring it away.

I looked in amazement at my Pokemon. Chikorita had overcome her fears and had protected me! I got up and ran over to Chikorita, picking her up.

"Great job, Chikorita! I'm so proud of you! You faced your fears and overcame them!" I cried, hugging her.

The roles had been reversed this time. When we first met, I had saved Chikorita from Ariados. This time, though, I was the one in danger and Chikorita had saved me!

"Thank you, Chikorita." I said softly. "Now I know that I can count on you to help me when I need you, just as I'm sure that you know that you can count on me to help you when you need it, too."

"Chika, Chika." Chikorita said affectionately.

I then put her back down and looked at her. "So are you ready to go and win that contest?" I asked, smiling.

"Chika!" Chikorita cried happily, fully energized.

We walked back towards the campsite and found Adam and Jason.

"So how did the practice go?"Jason asked.

"Chikorita did great. She got over her fears, too." I replied, smiling at my Pokemon.

"How so?" Adam asked.

"She saved me, just like I saved her when we first met. We were practicing and one of the moves hit a tree. An angry Beedrill fell from the tree and Chikorita froze in fear as it attacked. I went to call out another Pokemon, but realized that my Pokemon were back here. I picked up a stick and threw it at Beedrill...not the smartest thing to do at the time, but Chikorita was in trouble. The Beedrill was coming at me instead and then out of nowhere, Chikorita stopped it and scared it off. She's definitely over her fears now." I explained.

"That's the same thing that happened with my dad and Pikachu when they first met each other. My dad protected Pikachu from a flock of Spearows and Pikachu protected him in return. I'm glad that you're okay, Michelle. And great job at facing your fears, Chikorita." Adam said to us.

"Chikorita can now move forward, now that her fear is gone." Jason added.

We packed up the rest of our things and started walking again, getting closer and closer to Cherrygrove City. I was happy and proud of Chikorita and I knew that Chikorita now felt confident and proud herself. Cherrygrove City Contest, here we come!

**Author's Note: A shorter chapter, but we wanted to show Michelle interacting with her new Pokemon.**

**Chikorita has overcome her fears and saved Michelle from danger, just as she saved Chikorita from danger in the previous chapter. And now they and the boys head for Cherrygrove City and Michelle's first Johto Pokemon contest!**

**How well will she and Chikorita perform? Find out as the contest takes place in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!**


	4. An Old Rival, A New Rival!

**Michelle's POV**

Adam, Jason, and I had just made through the haunted forest.

"I remember my mom telling me about that forest when she traveled with Ash through Johto. She said that they were lost for the longest time and that Adam's dad said that he knew the way and got them even more lost! She said that no matter where they went, they were trapped and saw illusions." I said.

"Yeah, and thanks to Hoothoot, they were able to see what was real and what was an illusion, but our parents didn't know about that at the time." Adam added.

"Yeah, my dad said that he mocked your dad for not being prepared like he was." said Jason.

"I also remember my dad telling me that the Hoothoot would only listen to your mom, Michelle, and that it attacked him." Adam said.

I laughed and nodded my head.

* * *

><p>After a few more days of traveling, we finally saw Cherrygrove City appearing in the distance. We walked into the city and saw that many of the houses have red or pink roofs and that there was a cherry orchard.<p>

"Well, I can see why it's called Cherrygrove City." I said.

Adam and Jason nodded their heads in agreement.

We eventually found the contest hall and stopped outside of it. My first Johto contest would be held in there.

"It feels strange, looking at a contest hall again, getting to compete in a contest again after so long. I haven't competed since the Grand Festival, three months ago. But I'm stoked to compete again and getting to do what I love to do!" I said, feeling excited and happy.

Upon entering the building, I saw other coordinators standing around and talking to each other. Others were at the front desk, registering for the contest.

"Michelle!" a voice called.

Turning, I saw a young woman that I didn't know approaching us. She looked familiar to me, but I knew that I had never seen her before. She had straight, reddish brown hair that fell to her shoulders, sky blue eyes, and she was pale. She wore a flowing, white knee length skirt, a dark blue shirt, and dark blue knee high boots.

"Umm...who are you and how do you know my name?" I asked.

"My name is Victoria. I'm the contest host for the Johto region. I know you, Michelle, because I heard about you from my older sister, Jillian, the contest host in Kanto." the woman now known as Victoria replied, smiling.

And now that she mentioned being related to Jillian, I could now see the resemblance. The only difference was her hair and clothes.

"My sister and I often talk about the most memorable performances that we remember in contests from the past year once the Grand Festivals in our regions are over. This year, Jillian often talked about you, Michelle. A girl who made it all the way to the finals in her first-ever Grand Festival.

"Jillian described you as, 'A beautiful, young, orange-haired girl that traveled around with Master Ketchum's and Professor Oak's sons.' That's why I noticed you as soon as you walked in here. I was hoping to see you in Johto's contests this year and see for myself what my sister was talking about when describing your amazing performances."

_Wow...people are noticing me. And maybe one day, I'll inspire people to follow in my footsteps and become coordinators, just like how Adam's mom inspired me. I have fans now and I want to make them proud. Adam's cousin, Brittany, is one of them. When she first saw one of my performances for herself in the Grand Festival, she wouldn't stop talking about how great it was._ I thought to myself. _And Jillian called me beautiful? That's something that I never thought that I would be called, since I was - and slightly still am - a tomboy. I never did fit in with girls my age, but I seem to fit in now!_

"Well, when you talk to Jillian again, could you thank her for me? And it's thanks to Dawn Ketchum, and my friends here; Adam and Jason, that I'm the coordinator that I am today. They help me with my skills and support me." I replied.

"Oh, and when will the contest be held?" I asked, since I didn't know the day.

"It's in four days." Victoria replied and glanced around the room. "Well, I have to go. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of performances you have in store for the contest and it was great to meet everyone." she said.

She walked off and I walked towards the desk.

"Hello," the woman greeted, smiling.

"Hi, I would like to register for the contest." I said.

"Okay, I just need to see your Johto contest pass."

"What?" I asked, feeling scared.

"Your contest pass for Johto." she repeated.

"I...don't have one." I said.

_I don't have one! Am I still going to be allowed to compete? What if I can't? What am I going to do?!_ I thought, panicking.

"That's fine, dear. I can issue you one, I just need to ask you some questions for the form."

I sighed in relief and nodded my head. "Okay, thank you so much."

After a few minutes, I had my Johto contest pass.

"This pass will allow you to enter any contest in the Johto region. I can now register you for the upcoming contest." the lady said. "...And there you go. I wish you the best of luck."

"Thanks,"

I walked back over to where Adam and Jason were waiting and we left the contest hall, heading towards the Pokemon Center to get a room to stay in while in Cherrygrove City.

As we entered the Pokemon Center, something caught my eye. I stopped and turned towards what had caught my eye and I saw a familiar face. It was Amber! I hit Adam and Jason's arms and pointed and we all ran over to where she was standing.

She turned and saw us coming and smiled. Amber was one of my friends and rivals from Kanto. She still looked the same as the last time that we had seen her. Her long, golden yellow hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a gold-colored hater top with an open, white midriff jacket over it, blue skinny jeans, and black shoes.

"Amber!" I cried, stopping and hugging her.

"Michelle!" she cried, returning the hug.

"Hi, guys!" Amber said as we pulled away from the hug. Adam and Jason greeted her.

Amber opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped. "You look different, Michelle. What did you do?" she asked.

"I cut my hair and got my ears pierced." I replied.

"Well, it looks great!"

"So, how have you been, Amber?" Adam asked.

"Pretty good. I took a small break from traveling after the Grand Festival." she replied.

"So what are you doing now?" Jason asked.

"I'm traveling through Johto now, trying to qualify for the Johto Grand Festival. I'm competing in the upcoming contest, too."

"I am, too." I said.

"I've caught a couple of new Pokemon since coming to Johto and it will be their debut in this contest. Have you caught any new Pokemon?" Amber asked.

"I caught a Chikorita and it will be her contest debut as well."

"Great! You haven't slacked off in your training, have you?" Amber asked.

"No, have you?" I asked.

"Nope."

And I knew that it was true. I knew that Amber would be training and working on improving her skills. She wanted to win a Grand Festival one day, but first, she had to win the contests, just like me. We both had the same goal and to reach that, we couldn't slack off in our skills.

_I have one of my rivals back. I know that it won't be easy and Amber is a worthy rival to have. I wonder how much she's improved since the Grand Festival? I guess I'll find out in the contest._ I thought.

"Well, it was great to see you guys again. I'm going to go and train for the contest. See you guys later." Amer said, waving and walking out of the Pokemon Center.

We walked towards the front desk and Nurse Joy smiled at us.

"How may I help you?" she asked.

"We need a room and our Pokemon healed." Adam said.

She nodded her head and placed a tray on the counter. We placed our Pokeballs in the tray and Adam's Pikachu hopped into the tray, too.

"Here you are, and enjoy your stay." she said, handing us the room keys.

"I'm going to train once the Pokemon are healed. What are you guys going to do?" I asked as we walked away from the desk.

"I'm a little tired from our long trip, so I'm heading to the room to take a nap." Adam said. He did look sleepy.

"I'll go to the store and pick up some more food for us for when we go back out on the road." Jason said.

Adam headed towards the rooms, Jason walked towards the exit, and I took a seat, waiting for the Pokemon.

After a little while, Nurse Joy was done and I walked up to the desk and got all of our Pokeballs and Pikachu. I stuffed Adam and Jason's Pokeballs into my bag and attached my Pokeballs back to my bracelet while Pikachu hopped onto my shoulder. I removed my room key and headed towards our room.

Adam was sleeping, so I had to be quiet. I unlocked the door and quietly stepped into the room. Adam was sound asleep by the bed closest to the door. I walked towards one of the other beds and removed Jason's Pokeballs and set them on it. I set Adam's Pokeballs by his bag that was resting on the floor by the end of his bed. Pikachu jumped up onto Adam's bed and snuggled up next to Adam and closed his eyes. Pikachu must have been tired, too. I smiled at the sight and quietly left the room.

I walked out of the Pokemon Center and walked to the field to practice. As I neared the field, I saw that a girl was already there, practicing with a Smoochum. Her attacks stopped and the girl turned around. She was my age with blonde hair falling to her shoulders and bangs across her forehead with dark gray eyes, and she was tanned. She was wearing a pair of white skinny jeans, a green half top with a white tank top underneath, and green flats.

She made a disgusted look at me. "Not you again." she said, looking at me in annoyance.

"Again?" I asked, pretty sure that I had never seen her before. "Have we met before?"

"I'm Carley. And no, we haven't met before. But I know you, even if you don't know me. I was in the Kanto Grand Festival and lost in the first round of battles while you breezed on through the tournament all the way to the finals! You won by pure luck and only luck. I'll prove it to you when I beat you in the contest and I will show you that I'm the better coordinator.

"I've been looking forward to this ever since the Grand Festival. I just knew that you would be coming to try and win again."

"I didn't win by luck and I'll prove it to you in the contest!" I said, defending myself.

I frowned at her. She didn't even know me and she was saying all of this about me. She was stuck up and thinks that I don't have any talent, either...I'll show her.

Carley removed a Pokeball and returned her Pokemon and walked away. "If you even want to have a chance at winning the contest, you'll need all the practice that you can get. Especially if you want to beat me." she called over her shoulder.

"We'll see in the contest!" I called.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I did my best in the Grand Festival. It wasn't luck that allowed me to make it as far as I did. I trained a lot so that I would improve and it showed in the Grand Festival. Carley was a lot like how Adam's rival, Trevor, used to be. I couldn't let her get to me. I just needed to focus.

* * *

><p>I stood backstage beside Amber, Adam, and Jason. I was wearing my contest outfit, which was a gypsy-looking outfit. The top was cut a few inches above my bellybutton. It was white with a dark blue border. The skirt was long and flowed around my legs, which was white, except for the waistband, which was dark blue. I also had white heels on my feet. Dark blue and white beads on strings hung from the top, which lined my arms and made sleeves down my arms. I also had a dark blue and white headpiece in my hair.<p>

Amber was dressed in a long, yellow strapless dress that went down to her ankles. The top part of the dress (down to her waist) was covered in golden sparkles. She was wearing yellow heels and her hair was clipped back.

"Good luck to both of you." Jason said.

"Yeah, good luck, girls." Adam said.

"Thanks," Amber and I replied, smiling.

Looking around, I spotted Carley. I frowned and my friends noticed and looked up as Carley glared at me. I had told them about Carley after I had finished my practice on the day that I had met her. She was dressed in a pale blue dress that fell to her knees that was covered in glitter. She was wearing white heels and short white gloves. Her hair was curled and pulled into a ponytail with a pale blue ribbon.

"Before I began my journey, my dad told me that when you travel, you'll meet people who will try to discourage you. You can't let them to get to you. Besides, what Carley said about you isn't true at all, Michelle." Adam said.

"Yeah, Adam's right. You can't let her get to you. She's trying to scare you and make you not want to compete." Jason added.

"And you'll prove to her in the contest that you making it as far as you did in the Grand Festival wasn't luck." Amber said, smiling.

I smiled and nodded my head. "Right!"

"We're heading to our seats. Good luck," Adam and Jason said and left.

"Good afternoon, everyone! Welcome to the Cherrygrove City Pokemon Contest! I'm your host, Victoria!" Victoria cried as she walked onto the stage.

"And as you all know, the objective for the coordinator is to show a unique performance to earn a ribbon that will bring them a step closer to the Grand Festival! Now let's meet our judges!

"First, we have Shawn Contesta!" Victoria announced.

"I'm glad to be here and I'm looking forward to seeing each performance." Shawn said.

"Next, the President of the Pokemon Fan Club, Mr. Tatsu!" Victoria announced.

"Pokemon and contests! Lovely!" he cried.

"And lastly, we have our very own Nurse Joy!" Victoria announced.

"I'm looking forward to today's performances and good luck to everyone competing." Nurse Joy said, smiling.

"You've meet the judges! Now...it's time to meet the coordinators! Entry number one...you're up!"

I was going to be the last coordinator to go in the appeals round. After a while, it was Amber's turn.

"Next up...is Amber!" Victoria announced.

Amber ran onto the stage and spun, tossing her Pokeball into the air.

"Furret, showtime!" she cried. The Pokeball opened and Furret appeared, surrounded by bubbles.

"Fury Swipes!" Amber cried. The bubbles burst and water droplets fell down onto the stage.

"Use Quick Attack!" Amber cried. As Furret ran forward, Amber removed a few disks.

"Now! Use Defense Curl!" she cried as she threw the disks. Furret jumped into the air, near the disks, and rolled into a ball. The speed from the Quick Attack made the disks bounce off of Furret.

"Now use Fury Swipes!" Furret jumped and hit the disks, managing to split them in half. Furret landed on the ground and the crowd cheered.

"A wonderful performance to show off Furret's power." Shawn said.

"An exciting and powerful performance!" Mr. Tatsu cried.

"It was a great display of Furret's strength." Nurse Joy said.

"Time to show you what true skill looks like." Carley said as she walked by me.

So I was going after Carley. I looked up at the screen and waited to see her performance.

"Next up is...Carley!" Victoria cried.

Carley ran onto the stage and spun, tossing her Pokeball into the air.

"Smoochum, curtain!" A heart appeared and as it faded, Smoochum appeared.

"Use Blizzard and then Psychic!" Carley cried. I watched as the blizzard was stopped in its place and Smoochum started to form it into a big snowball.

"Now break it with Pound!"

_Pound won't be strong enough to break that big ball of snow. _I thought as I watched Smoochum run towards the ball of snow.

Smoochum jumped and hit the ball...and it broke. Smoochum landed on the stage and Carley smiled as the crowd cheered.

"A wonderful performance." Shawn said.

"Outstanding!" Mr. Tatsu cried.

"I've never seen anything like that performance before! A great show." Nurse Joy said.

As I walked towards the stage, Carley was coming my way. "Top that." she challenged.

"Next up is...Michelle!" Victoria cried.

I ran onto the stage and felt the adrenaline that I always felt at contests come back again.

"Spotlight, Chikorita!" I cried, spinning and tossing my Pokeball. Sparkles surrounded Chikorita as she appeared.

"Use Razor Leaf!" I cried. Leaves were now in the air.

"Now use Synthesis!" Chikorita glowed.

"Now use Tackle!" Chikorita ran towards where the leaves were still at, thanks to how low she had shot them, and jumped, hitting a few leaves.

"Now use Vine Whip!" Chikorita hit the remaining leaves and cried out her name happily.

"Wonderful!" Shawn cried.

"Great!" Mr. Tatsu cried.

"A lovely performance." Nurse Joy said.

I knelt down and looked at Chikorita. "You did great in your first contest, Chikorita! Thank you." I said as I returned her.

I stood, waiting backstage with the others as we all waited for the judges to decide who would move on.

"You both did great." Adam said while Jason nodded in agreement.

"And...these are the coordinators who will be moving on!"

Carley was first. I watched as picture after picture was shown. My picture appeared and then Amber's showed, too.

"And now to show who the eight coordinators will be battling!"

I was going against some guy, Amber was going against some girl, and Carley was battling a guy and was going first.

"To my left is Josh, and to my right is Carley! Five minutes on the clock and begin!" Victoria cried.

"Let's go, Umbreon!" Carley cried, tossing her Pokeball.

"Totodile, go!" Josh cried, tossing his Pokeball.

… …

"The winner is Carley!"

… …

"To my left is Amber, and to my right is Jessica! Five minutes on the clock and begin!" Victoria cried.

"Hoppip, showtime!" Amber cried, tossing her Pokeball.

"Come on out, Meowth!" Jessica cried.

… …

"The winner is Amber!"

… …

"To my left is Jeffery, and to my right is Michelle! Five minutes on the clock and begin!" Victoria cried.

"Aipom, go!" Jeffery cried, tossing his Pokeball.

"Spotlight, Haunter!" I cried, tossing my Pokeball.

… …

"The winner is Michelle!"

… …

"And now to show the four coordinators who will be competing in the semifinals!" Victoria cried.

I would either go against Amber, Carley, or a guy named Mark. I looked at the screen and saw that I was going against Mark.

I went first and won my battle. Now it was time to see who I would be facing in the finals.

"The semifinal match will now begin! To my left is Amber, and to my right is Carley! Five minutes on the clock and begin!" Victoria cried.

"Hoppip, showtime!" Amber cried, tossing her Pokeball.

"Let's go, Umbreon!" Carley cried, tossing her Pokeball.

"Hoppip, use Bullet Seed!" Amber cried.

"Psychic!" Carley cried.

Bullet Seed glowed blue and was sent back towards Hoppip.

"Incredible! Umbreon managed to send Hoppip's attack right back!" Victoria cried.

Looking at Amber's points, that one move had taken a good chunk of points away.

"Double Team, Umbreon!" Carley cried.

"Stay calm, Hoppip." Amber said, looking at the Umbreons that surrounded Hoppip.

"Hoppip, use Bounce!"

"Be ready for Shadow Ball, Umbreon."

As Hoppip came towards Umbreon, Carley watched.

"Now!" Carley cried. Umbreon released the Shadow Ball, but it did nothing as Hoppip bounced it back towards Umbreon and then slammed into it.

"Now use Sleep Powder!" Amber cried.

Carley smirked. "Psychic!"

"No!" Amber cried as her attack was stopped and was now floating in the air.

"Do it." said Carley. The Sleep Powder was sent towards Hoppip, who fell asleep.

"Wake up, Hoppip!" Amber cried.

"Use Shadow Ball once more, Umbreon." said Carley. The attack hit Hoppip, right as the buzzer sounded.

"And the winner is...Carley!" Victoria cried.

Looking at the points, Carley's were only halfway gone, if that, while Amber had barely any points left.

"And the final round will feature Carley versus Michelle!" Victoria announced.

I took a breath and headed for the stage.

"The final round will now begin! To my left is Michelle, and to my right is Carley! Five minutes on the clock and begin!" Victoria cried.

"Spotlight, Haunter!" I cried, tossing my Pokeball.

"Let's go, Umbreon!" Carley cried, tossing her Pokeball.

"Use Shadow Ball, Umbreon!" Carley cried.

"Counter with your own Shadow Ball!" I cried.

The two moves canceled each other out.

"Umbreon, use Double Team!"

"Dark Pulse, Haunter!" I cried.

"Stop it with Psychic!"

I watched as every Umbreons' eyes glowed blue and Dark Pulse was stopped.

"Do it!" Carley cried.

"Vanish, quick!" I cried as Dark Pulse headed towards my Pokemon.

Haunter went to dodge, but didn't dodge in time and got hit.

"Now use Pursuit!"

"Dodge and use your Shadow Balls!" I cried.

Haunter successfully dodged this time and Umbreon was hit by multiple Shadow Balls.

"Now use Sucker Punch!" I cried.

"Psychic!"

Haunter was stopped.

"Shadow Ball, Umbreon!" Carley cried. With Haunter still frozen by Psychic, Carley's Umbreon used Shadow Ball.

"Now!" Carley cried. Haunter was thrown towards the wall and slammed into the wall right as the buzzer went.

"The winner is...Carley! The winner of the Cherrygrove City Contest is Carley!" Victoria announced.

I returned Haunter, thanking my Pokemon, and walked backstage to change.

_Carley didn't go easy on me, that's for sure. Her main strategy was using Psychic to use her opponent's moves against them. I have to figure out a way to counter that. _I thought as I grabbed my bag.

I walked out of the contest hall and saw Adam and Jason. I walked over to them and right as I opened my mouth to greet them, I was interrupted.

"I was right, Michelle. I am the better coordinator and I proved it by beating you in the contest. Everything that you won was just luck." Carley said.

I spun around and Carley smiled at me and walked away with a satisfied smile on her face. I frowned.

_Carley's wrong. I have to remember that I'll win some and lose some, but I can't let that get me down. And I sure won't let Carley get me down. There are still plenty of contests left for me to compete in._ I thought.

"So where are we heading to next?" I asked.

"Violet City. That's where the first gym is." Adam replied.

"Hmm...my mom told me that someone I know lives in Violet City. I wonder who it could be?" I wondered aloud.

**Author's Note: Michelle discovers from Victoria that after her performance in the Grand Festival, she's acquired a good reputation from people who watch her perform. She also competes in her first contest in Johto, which sadly ends in defeat. She's met Amber again, an old rival, and Carley, a new rival.**

**The next stop is Violet City, where Adam and Jason are going to compete for their first gym badge in Johto. There's also someone who lives there who knows Michelle. Who do you think that person is? And will the boys be able to win their badges?**

**Find out in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!**


	5. The Return of Team Rocket

After traveling nearly all day, we were finally stopping to make camp. I set my bag on the ground and removed the tent and we worked together to get it set up.

"Okay, I'm going to go and get some wood so that we can make a fire." I said, standing up.

But before I could even walk off, a loud rumble came from the sky. Looking up, I noticed that the slightly cloudy sky had turned into dark clouds covering the sky. I felt a drop of rain hit my face and before we knew it, the rain became a downpour.

Jason opened the flap to the tent and Michelle hurried inside, with Jason and myself following behind her.

We sat in the tent, shaking. We were wet and cold.

"Great..." Jason muttered, wiping water off of his face.

Michelle sighed and looked up at the roof of the tent. "This rain isn't going to stop anytime soon."

It looked like we weren't going to have the soup that she had planned to make. What could we eat now? We couldn't make a fire inside the tent!

"How about sandwiches?" Michelle asked, already digging in her bag for the ingredients that she needed.

After we ate, we were all still shaking from being wet and cold. Plus, the rain was still pouring down.

I slid my jacket off and laid it beside me. "It would be best to take off anything that we can. Jackets, shoes, socks, we can't stay in these cold, wet clothes." I said as I started untying my shoes and removing my hat. We couldn't take off everything, though. We had no privacy to change our clothes in the tent.

Michelle removed a towel from her bag and started rubbing it through her hair, drying it off. After we had dried off as much as we could, we got into our sleeping bags to stay warm.

As we laid there, listening to the rain, I couldn't help but be reminded of how this was similar to the day that Hunter Mya of Team Rocket captured me and froze me with her Froslass's Ice Beam and I nearly died.

"This feels like the day that Mya captured me and I nearly froze to death, but you guys kept me warm and saved my life after rescuing me." I said, breaking the silence.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Michelle shift. Looking at her, I saw that she was frowning.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just don't like to think about that day. I remember it all too well. Adam, you nearly died that night, right in my arms while I was trying to keep you warm and awake. I was afraid that you were going to die. I've never been that scared for you in my life." Michelle said softly.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Michelle. But I would rather that it be me than you. To me, my friends always come first. I didn't want you to get captured again. After what Hunter Oliver did to you after he captured you...you didn't need to go through something like that again. And I knew that you would come and rescue me and Jason because you would never leave your friends." I said.

"It's called self-sacrifice, being willing to protect those that you care about, even if it means putting yourself in danger. I learned this very early in life from my dad. And Michelle, your life is definitely worth saving, despite the risks.

"According to what the Legendary Pokemon told my dad, being willing to put your life on the line to save someone that you care about shows the strongest kind of bond that you can have with a person, and that's the kind of bond that I have with you and Jason."

"Yeah, Adam. You had us both worried that day. I thought that I was going to lose my best friend." Jason added.

"But you didn't, and it's thanks to both of you that I lived. We'll always be there for each other."

A small silence passed between us. Michelle then broke the silence and looked at me.

"Adam, you told me before that you competed in and won the Orange Islands League while on vacation there with your family after our journey through Kanto. What are your uncle and cousin doing now?" she asked.

"When we got back home, my grandma returned home to Sinnoh and she's watching Brittany. Darien's going to travel through Sinnoh and challenge the gyms. Then he's going to enter the Pokemon League, and if he wins, he'll try to become the new Elite Four member of Sinnoh, since they're looking for a new member after Bertha died a few years ago."

We kept talking until it was dark and then we went to sleep. This bad day turned out better than any of us had expected. Being together with friends can help even a bad day turn out to be not so bad.

* * *

><p>The next morning, we woke up and didn't hear any rain. Opening the tent, we saw that the sun was out and the sky was clear.<p>

We ate a few leftover sandwiches that Michelle had made. Then we packed up and were off again, continuing to Violet City.

After a few hours of traveling, I thought that I heard shouting. I stopped walking and listened closely. I could hear shouting, splashing of water, and what sounded like attacks going off.

"Do you guys hear that?" I asked.

They nodded their heads.

"Something's happening." Michelle said.

"We're heading over there, aren't we?" Jason asked.

"Yes, someone could be in trouble." I said.

We ran towards where the sounds were coming from. We stopped at the tree line and stared at the sight in front of us.

"You're kidding..." Michelle trailed.

"Again?" Jason asked.

Team Rocket was on the other side of the trees. Four grunts in white uniforms (meaning that they were in the lower ranks) were standing by a truck with a large water tank in the back. Being loaded into the tank were Pokemon from the lake that was nearby. The Pokemon were beaten badly and too weak to fight. A Feraligatr with red eyes was following the orders of the grunts and attacking the innocent Pokemon that lived in the lake, making them too weak to resist capture. The Feraligatr dove into the lake and after a few moments, a Goldeen was thrown out onto the ground, badly hurt. One of the grunts picked up the poor Goldeen and tossed it into the tank.

"Team Rocket's actually back and they're planning on taking over Johto now. That Feraligatr is under their control, too. Look at those red eyes." I said.

"That poor Feraligatr doesn't have any choice but to do what they tell it to do. No Pokemon deserves to go through that." Jason said, shaking his head.

"And the poor lake Pokemon, too. They haven't done anything wrong. Team Rocket is just planning on using them to build their Pokemon army. Seeing a mind-controlled Pokemon in action is frightening." Michelle added.

"We can't just stand around and let them do this. We have to do something." Jason said.

"Our Pokemon wouldn't stand a chance against that Feraligatr...would they?" Michelle asked.

"We have to try, we can't just let them get away with this. And we need to find out what they're planning to do here in Johto." I said, edging closer to the opening.

"Ready?" I asked, enlarging Pidgeot's Pokeball.

Jason removed one of his Pokeballs and enlarged it and Michelle did the same. They nodded and we jumped out from the trees.

"Stop!" we cried.

The grunts turned and their shocked expressions quickly turned to glares. They knew who we were, since we had halted Team Rocket's plans before. Three of the grunts threw Pokeballs, releasing a Golbat, an Arbok, and a Meowth.

I tossed my Pokeball to release Pidgeot, Jason released Charizard, and Michelle released Jolteon.

After battling for a few minutes, we beat the grunts' Pokemon with little trouble. The fourth grunt then stepped forward and pressed a button on a device that was on his wrist. The Feraligatr jumped forward to battle. He was the one controlling it.

"Attack together." I said.

"Pidgeot, use Aerial Ace!" I cried.

"Thunder!" Michelle cried.

"Flamethrower!" Jason cried.

But after countless attacks, Feraligatr was still standing. Even when we managed to attack it while it was down, it got right back up. This was one tough Pokemon!

Our Pokemon couldn't last much longer. I then realized that Pikachu wasn't by my feet like usual. Looking around, I spotted Pikachu out of the corner of my eye. He had snuck away and was now behind the grunt with the device. Pikachu looked at me and I nodded.

Pikachu released a Thunderbolt on the grunt, who cried out in pain and the device was destroyed and smoking. Feraligatr's eyes turned back to their normal color. Feraligatr was free from its mind-controlled state!

Pikachu then jumped into the air and used Iron Tail against the water tank, breaking it open and freeing the Water Pokemon that were trapped inside. The water and the Pokemon spilled out, back into the lake.

The grunts waited for a moment before running to their truck and driving away. They had failed in their mission.

"Should we go after them?" I asked.

"No, we've pushed our luck enough for one day and we almost lost against Feraligatr, too. We can't be too reckless. And besides, we saved the Pokemon in the lake from Team Rocket. That's what's important." Jason said.

The Pokemon were cheering happily from the lake.

"Great thinking there, Pikachu. Thank you for getting behind that grunt and doing what you did. You helped set Feraligatr free from Team Rocket's control." I said, petting his head. "We couldn't have won without you and your quick thinking."

I then looked at the Feraligatr. It had to have been taken away from its home, meaning that it was a wild Pokemon.

"You know, you're really strong, being able to hold up against all of us in battle. I'd like that kind of power on my team. Battle me, please." I said, looking at Feraligatr.

Feraligatr took a battle stance and growled. I looked at Pikachu, who ran forward and waited.

"Use Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" I cried. Pikachu unleashed the Thunderbolt and Feraligatr was hit and damaged, but shook the attack off.

"Dodge and use Iron Tail!" I cried as a Hydro Pump headed towards Pikachu. Pikachu dodged and used Iron Tail, but Feraligatr blocked it with Ice Punch.

The battle raged on and after countless attacks, Pikachu was nearing his limit.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt once more!" I said.

Pikachu released a Thunderbolt and Feraligatr was now paralyzed. I removed a Pokeball and tossed it. The Pokeball fell onto the ground and wiggled once, twice, and then opened.

I stared at Feraligatr in shock. I had never failed in capturing a Pokemon on my first attempt before! This sure wasn't an easy battle, but I knew beforehand that it wasn't going to be. Feraligatr sure was tough!

Feraligatr ran towards Pikachu, about to use Aqua Tail.

"Iron Tail!" I cried.

The two moves clashed against one another and fought for dominance.

"Now use Thunderbolt!" I cried when Pikachu spun out of the attack.

Feraligatr fell to one knee after getting hit by the attack. I removed another Pokeball and tossed it. It fell to the ground and it wiggled once, twice, and stayed closed.

Pikachu stood up and looked at me. I knelt down next to him and hugged him. "Great job, Pikachu. That was the toughest Pokemon capture that we've ever had." I said, rubbing his head.

"Pi...ka..." Pikachu said, exhausted.

I walked over to where Feraligatr's Pokeball was and picked it up. I tossed it into the air and released him.

"Welcome to the team, Feraligatr." I said as I held my Pokedex towards him.

"Feraligatr, the Big Jaw Pokemon and the final evolved form of Totodile. Once a Feraligatr has clamped its powerful jaws around an opponent, it won't let go until the opponent is defeated."

"We need to heal our Pokemon after all of those battles. They're really tired." Jason said.

Michelle looked at her map. "Catallia City is close by." she said.

"I think that we should also tell Officer Jenny that Team Rocket is back and are now in Johto." Jason added.

"Will she believe us, though? We tried to tell her about them in Kanto when we first encountered Team Rocket at Mt. Moon and she didn't believe us. The police didn't find out the truth until it was almost too late." I said, remembering our time in Kanto.

"Well, hopefully, she'll believe us this time." said Jason.

"Yeah. I mean, the police and Elite Four members know about what happened in Kanto and have been told that there was a possibility that Team Rocket could still be around." Michelle added.

After what had happened at the Temple of Legends, the Elite Four and my dad had told the Elite Four in every other region about what had happened and that Team Rocket was still out there and still a threat. They had then informed the police in each of their regions about this, too.

* * *

><p>As we walked through Catallia City a short while later, looking around and heading towards the Pokemon Center, Michelle suddenly tripped and fell. She looked up and I noticed a Spinarak coming down. It shot webs at us and before we knew it, we were stuck in a big ball of Spinarak webbing.<p>

"Great..." Jason muttered.

"My mom told me about this when she was here..." Michelle muttered.

I saw then Officer Jenny approaching.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Adam Ketchum and this is Pikachu." I said.

"Jason Oak," said Jason.

"Michelle Waterflower," said Michelle.

"Oh...you must've tripped on a hidden Spinarak web string. Spinarak set it up as a trap to catch someone. Here, let me help you get out." she said.

Once we were free from the web, she started to explain.

"The Spinaraks are part of the police force here in Catallia City. They've set up webs to catch a thief who stole some machine parts from a store a few nights ago, but hasn't been seen since." she explained.

"We'll keep an eye out while we're here." I said.

"Thanks,"

"Officer Jenny, when we were coming here, we saw Team Rocket. They were at the lake not far from here, trying to capture all of the Pokemon there." Jason said.

"They're in Johto now, after not being seen since Kanto when their plans were stopped by the police and Elite Four at the Temple of Legends." I added.

"Thanks for letting me know. I'll contact the Johto police force and tell them to be on the lookout for Team Rocket or anything suspicious."

I sighed in relief. Thankfully, she believed us.

We continued on our way towards the Pokemon Center.

"How come the Catallia City police use Spinaraks instead of Growlithes and Arcanines, like all of the others do?" Jason asked.

"It's tradition to use Spinarak in Catallia City. A long time ago, a thief, the Black Arachnid, ransacked the town. He was accompanied by a Meowth and used Pay Day to scare the police off when they were likely to get captured. The Black Arachnid was stopped thanks to Officer Jenny and her Spinarak. Using its web, Spinarak stopped the thief." I explained, remembering what my dad had told me when he was here on his journey.

"My mom hated seeing all of the Spinarak, since it is, after all, a Bug Pokemon. She was freaked out. Her, your dad, and Brock all ended up trapped in the web like we were." Michelle added.

"Luckily, you don't share your mom's fear of Bug Pokemon." said Jason.

We walked into the Pokemon Center and up to the front desk.

"Hello, how may I help you?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Can you heal our Pokemon?" I asked.

She nodded and placed a tray on the counter. Pikachu hopped into the tray and we placed our Pokeballs in it.

"They were in a really tough battle." Jason said.

"It'll take a little longer than usual, but I'll take care of them." said Nurse Joy.

"How about we walk around the city?" Michelle asked.

Walking out of the Pokemon Center, I saw something on a building. Looking closer I saw that it was a figure in black standing on top of the building. It looked like a man. I nudged Jason and Michelle and pointed.

"That could be the thief that they're after." I said and watched as the figure jumped off of the roof.

We ran after the figure. We followed the figure all the way through the city and into the forest, before he stopped. We stopped a few feet behind him. The figure turned and removed his hood. Standing in front of us was...Antonio.

Antonio was the son of the late Giovanni, the former leader of Team Rocket. But unlike his father, Antonio wanted to destroy Team Rocket for what they had done to his family. He had helped us find Team Rocket's base in Kanto. Michelle's friend, Amber, was Antonio's daughter, although she didn't know it. Thankfully, Team Rocket didn't know about her, either.

He looked at us and his eyes showed that he recognized us.

"Are you the one who robbed that store in the city?" I asked.

"I am, but only because I was looking for parts to build something to stop Team Rocket. I can't be caught, since I'm still undercover in Team Rocket and trying to stop them. If you three try to capture me for stealing, I will battle you." Antonio said, not knowing that we had no Pokemon at the moment.

"I saw you three battle Team Rocket at the lake. Stay away from Team Rocket. For your own safety, please stay away, Team Rocket still wants you captured like before. My father founded Team Rocket, so it's my duty to stop them...not yours."

He then removed a Pokeball and tossed it, revealing his Aerodactyl. He hopped onto his Pokemon and looked back at us, focusing on Michelle.

"Michelle, give up on trying to look for your father. You're better off not knowing who he is now. The truth will only end up hurting you." he said and flew off.

"We can't tell the police about his theft in the city." I said.

Jason nodded in agreement. "Even though he's not technically a good guy, he's the one with the best chance to infiltrate and stop Team Rocket and we know that he's on our side."

Michelle was looking at the ground, frowning. "Why would he tell me that? I'm not going to give up. I'll find out who and where my father is. I deserve to know. I won't stop." she muttered.

Why would Antonio say that to her? Did he know who Michelle's father was?

I looked at Michelle and saw that she looked sad and that her eyes were glossy. She was fighting back tears. Antonio had hurt her with what he had said. I knew that she wouldn't give up, just like I didn't give up looking for my dad when he was missing.

I walked over to her and hugged her. "Don't listen to him, Michelle. You'll find out who your father is." I said softly.

"Yeah, Adam's right. Just don't give up." Jason said, joining the hug.

"Thanks, guys..." Michelle said softly.

**Author's Note: Adam has captured a new Pokemon, Feraligatr, and the kids have encountered Team Rocket for the first time in Johto. They have also encountered an old ally, Antonio, who's still working undercover in Team Rocket, trying to stop their evil plans. He tells Michelle to give up looking for her father, saying that the truth will end up hurting her. Does he know who her father is?**

**Be sure to read the next chapter, where the kids will arrive in Violet City and compete in their gym battles and contest. Michelle will also meet someone from her past. Who will she meet? What challenges await them? Will they triumph in their battles?**

**Find out in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!**


End file.
